Is my visa guaranteed? What is the embassy's role?

It's a key question: does going through Fennec360 guarantee you'll get the visa?

No. Fennec360 helps you prepare your application, but only the consular services of the embassy or consulate are authorised to decide whether the visa is granted.

Our role is to help you build a coherent plan, understand the requirements and prepare the supporting documents you need. The institution reviews your application and decides on your admission. The consular services then examine your visa application and make their decision.

Who does what in your file?

Three parties are involved, each at its own stage.

• The institution reviews your application and decides on your admission.
• The destination country's authorities examine your visa or study permit application and decide.
• Fennec360 helps you prepare your plan, your application and your visa file. We decide neither the admission nor the visa.

For France

In Algeria, an application to French higher education goes through the Études en France procedure. You build your file there, then take an interview with Campus France to present your plan and your choices. After that step, you can request an appointment for your long-stay visa application.

The long-stay visa itself is granted by the French consular authorities. You prepare and follow your application on France-Visas, the official visa website for France.

For Canada

In Canada, officers of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decide. Visa application centres are private companies under contract with the Government of Canada: they collect your biometrics and send your passport on, but they play no role in the decision and are not allowed to give you visa advice.

What the consulate looks at in a student visa application

For France, a student visa application rests on your admission, your resources and how coherent your study plan is. The level of resources you must show is set by the administration and published on Service-Public.fr: check the amount in force when you apply.

That's why we work on the plan first. A programme chosen for good reasons, funding planned in advance and documents that match your situation give your file a logic the consular officer can follow.

And if the visa is refused?

A refusal is not always the end of the plan. What to do depends on the country.

In France

Every visa refusal must state its reasons. For a long-stay visa, you can appeal to the Commission for appeals against decisions refusing entry visas to France within 30 days of notification of the written refusal, or of the implicit refusal. This appeal is required before any court action. If the commission rejects your appeal, you can go to the administrative court of Nantes within 2 months.

The appeal must give reasons, be written in French and signed, with any useful documents attached.

In Canada

There is no appeal process for a refused study permit. IRCC states that applying again with the same information, even with a representative, will likely not change the decision. A new application makes sense when it brings new information or documents that address the reasons for the refusal.

The other route is to ask for judicial review at the Federal Court. For a decision made outside Canada, the application is filed within 60 days.

Either way, start by reading the reasons for the refusal. They tell you what needs fixing.

Be wary of anyone who promises you a visa

The authorities say it themselves. The Government of Canada reminds applicants that no one can guarantee a study permit, work permit or permanent residence will be issued by IRCC. It adds that if anyone tells you you'll have a better chance on your second application because they're representing you, they're not being truthful.

A serious agency explains the rules, helps you prepare a strong file and tells you clearly what it cannot do.

What we commit to

We commit to the quality of our support. The visa decision belongs to the competent authorities.

If you're preparing a study plan, start by telling us about your profile: together we'll go through the steps, the requirements and the documents to gather.

Start my free assessment or talk to our team.